


Nightmares

by kingdomfaraway



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Michelle Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23738317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingdomfaraway/pseuds/kingdomfaraway
Summary: Peter Parker can't sleep and Michelle Jones isn't the greatest at making anyone feel better, but she's going to try.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Far From Home Compliant - per post-credit scene. Unbeta'd, all mistakes are belonging to me.

The buzz of MJ's phone pulled her away from her book. She sighed, placing a well-worn bookmark in between the pages and closed the book on her lap. She reached over to her cell phone, swiped the screen to see a message from Peter awaiting her.

_Juliet?_

It took a second for MJ to figure out Peter's message. She got up from her bed and walked over to her window. Peter was standing on the sidewalk below, looking up to her window. She opened the window, leaning her head out. "Romeo?"

She couldn't see Peter's face from the third floor, but she knew he was smiling at her. Her phone buzzed again.

_Can I come up?_

_Sure_.

She moved back from the window and a second later, Peter was climbing in. He stood in front of her, dark jeans and a grey hoodie. He looked tired, a slight redness to his eyes, his face a little paler than usual.

"I do have a front door you know." She said smiling, jokingly.

He shrugged. "Thought your Mom wouldn't approve."

"She's at work still, so it's just us."

They stood awkwardly for a minute before MJ sat down on her bed and pushed herself up against her headboard, as she was before Peter arrived. "Sit."

Peter looked hesitant but went to sit anyway. "Shoes off," MJ said quickly before Peter could sit. He toed his shoes off and then sat on her bed. After a moment he moved to sit beside her. Their shoulders were touching, as was their legs.

She hadn't seen Peter a lot since they'd gotten back from London. He'd promised to take her out on a date soon, she was assuming this wasn't his idea as a date.

"Out on spider duties tonight?" She asked, attempting to fill the silence.

"Not tonight," Peter ran a hand through his hair. He was silent again and it was driving MJ crazy. Peter Parker was not a quiet guy. Well, he was, but not with her.

"I'm not," MJ started, "really good at this whole thing," she gestured between the two of them, "but I can listen."

"I shouldn't bother you with all this." Peter started, looking as if he was going to get back up again. MJ reached out and grabbed his arm, holding on to it until Peter settled back down against the headboard.

"I get it," she said, "don't want to burden your friends with superhero drama, noble causes all that stuff. Let's just fast forward to the part where you trust me when I say, I want to know."

Truth was, she wondered if he'd ever talk to her about what happened. She guessed it wasn't good, when she saw him the day after the drones, he was still limping and covered in molting bruises. He'd assured her he'd be fine in a day and sure enough, by the time they were on a plane home, he looked physically good as new.

"It's just a lot of really stupid stuff," Peter started, staring at his hands. "I mean, it's just… stupid."

MJ sighed, teenage boys were a pain in the ass sometimes, even superhero ones.

"Well, I've been having some shitty nightmares about drones lately. Nothing horrible, but it sucks. I can't imagine all the shit you've seen."

Peter laughed a bark of a sound and then turned to her. "When I was a kid, I used to dream about my parents. I'd have nightmares about them. I'd be walking in a store with my Mom and then she'd be gone suddenly, I couldn't find her anywhere. It sucked."

MJ didn't know a lot about Peter's family, just enough to know he grew up with his Aunt and Uncle. She didn't say anything hoping Peter would continue.

"Since then, my life just keeps adding more and more nightmare fuel to it. Uncle Ben, Mr. Stark… it just doesn't end. I'm running around looking for people when buildings fall on me, or I'm hit by a train, or I'm turned to dust. I just keep losing people and I can't find them. I can't help them, I can't do anything. And Beck," he paused his voice quivering ever so slightly, "he showed it to me, made me live through my nightmares."

MJ signed. She moved closer to him, so they were touching all along their sides. She leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder like he had done to her on their way back to New York. He adjusted for her, moving his arm so it fit around her shoulders. She was ill-equipped, she knew, to offer him any real advice or comfort. Peter took the gold medal in having shitty things happen to him. She could, however, be honest with him.

"Can I say something really cheesy?" she asked and then not waiting for a response, "I promise I'll do everything I can to never end up being one of those people you can't find."

She felt stupid, her heart caught in her throat for a minute. They were only dating for like a week and maybe she's watched too many stupid teen romances to think something like this is appropriate for a week old girlfriend to say. She couldn't help but feel fiercely protective of Peter Parker. He was fiercely protective of everyone else in his life, heck, everyone in New York, maybe even the whole world.

Peter was silent and then suddenly seemed to relax more than he had been before. He rested his head against hers. "Cool."

MJ scoffed. "Cool? I just said something very profound and all you can say is cool?"

They both laughed and it made MJ felt better then she had in a long time.

"What were you reading?" Peter asked.

"How'd you know I was reading?"

"Because I know you."

MJ reached for the book she had left on her nightstand. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."

"Read it out loud?" Peter asked.

MJ moved a little, so she could hold the book better in her hands. She removed the bookmark and started where she had left off, "From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends…"

Peter was asleep by the next page, snoring softly, MJ kept reading. 


End file.
